Happy Birthday Jake!

Warning* This post contains serious picture overload!

Today is Jake's birthday! I can't believe that my son is eight years old. But before we can even get to that I have to highlight the day in the order it happened...

Today was also Evie's preschool graduation. Brian was able to take the morning off of work, and Caite and Pa Dave came too. It was really nice because they got there early enough to snag us seats in the front row! I thought, "Score! I'll finally be able to get some good pictures of Evie during the program."

In the crazy rush of the morning I didn't realize until we were on the road that Lila hadn't gotten any breakfast. Fortunately Pa Dave was able to bring her some cereal and other things to snack on, so she was really well behaved for the most part and quite content to sit and chow down during the program.

They started with one of the teachers playing Pomp and Circumstance while the kids walked up to the stage. I caught this picture just before the meltdown started....

Evie spent most of the program like this. "Sniff, sniff... whimper, whimper....sob, sob"

Eventually they had her come off the stage and sit next to one of the teachers with her back to the audience and that seemed to help a bit. I am seriously rethinking the idea of putting her into a dance class or piano lessons, or anything that would require a performance. I'm not sure it wouldn't leave her permanently traumatized and then she'll grow up needing extensive counseling...

Evie and Miss Jody, her favorite teacher. She was the one who was able to help her calm down and feel a little more comfortable. Ah well, thus ends her preschool career. On to bigger and better things with Kindergarten.

We left the preschool and rushed across town to Jake's school to see the plays his class was putting on. Jake was the Emperor in "The Emperor's New Hair", based on the Emperor's New Clothes. I may be a bit biased, but I think his group was the best one. Jake did great memorizing all his lines and speaking loudly and clearly with great inflection and timing. He had several people compliment him and say that he was a natural born thespian. It does run in the family...

After the plays we got to stay and have lunch with him. Every year the school has an event called "Someone Special Lunch" where the kids can have a parent or grandparent come and eat lunch with them. Jake lucked out and had his parents, his sisters, an aunt and a grandpa!

Awww, what a good looking group of guys. 

Again, Lila was just happy to sit and chow down...

Aunt Caite decided Jake needed his birthday spanking.

And one to grow on...

After school we got home and after getting Lila down for a nap we hurried to tidy up the house and get ready for Jake's party. Caite was an absolute rock star and baked the cake with a little "help" from Jake and Evie. 

Jake got to pick where to go out for dinner and he chose Sizzler. Grandma and Grandpa T. joined us there and we had a great dinner together. Afterwards we all came back to watch Jake open his presents and then have cake and ice cream.

A Lego set and a couple of pairs of shorts from Grandma and Grandpa T.

A neat pirate card (complete with eye patch!) and some money from Pa Dave to buy Jake's Scout stuff. (Oh boy, I am going to have a cub scout. This is a whole new world...)

A cool paper planes kit from Caite and Patrick.

More Lego's from Mom and Dad.

A kit to build your own remote controlled dinosaur from Lila.

Mario trading cards from Evie.

I'm just realizing that pretty much everything he got was something to build or make. He should be entertained for at least a month!

Finally it was time to blow out the candles. 

Happy Birthday Jacob! 

I am so excited to see you have all the neat new experiences that are coming your way, and I am so proud of the great kid you are.